News Summary

Polytechnique Montréal has received a historic $50 million donation from the family foundation of Pierre Lassonde, a renowned Québec businessman and co-founder of Franco-Nevada Corporation. This substantial contribution is aimed at establishing an institute dedicated to deep technology, focusing on overcoming scientific and engineering challenges. The donation is intended to bolster the socio-economic impacts of academic research in Canada, particularly in developing new semiconductor and photonic devices. The institute plans to collaborate with major tech initiatives in Bromont, Québec City, and Ottawa, and will focus initially on technologies like mid-infrared emission devices for autonomous vehicles and ultrasensitive imaging systems for early cancer diagnosis. This donation is the largest in the history of Polytechnique Montréal and is expected to act as a catalyst for Canada’s mark on the global high-tech stage.